Goose hunting water vs dry
 

I've never had the same success when hunting water versus being in a dry field. Especially if duck decoys are in sight. What are y'all's experiences with this?

never really noticed a difference ...are u saying duck decoys helped?

I'm saying they wouldn't even work at all when the duck decoys were out. Maybe it's just me but I feel much more confident in a dry/puddled field than a flooded rice field

A lot of people leave one side of their blind dry for geese and the other side with a buffaloed pond wit water on the other side for ducks. They also leave their decoys out. My experience is geese will avoid a pond wit duck decoys in it like the plague because everytime they fly over one the levee explodes and their friends die.

HAHAHAHA well said sir!

Perfectly put. Just like to add that geese are more confident in concentrations. They have some 10yrs old they don't get that old from being easy to kill. I was always told an eagle head was a really old mature blue. 10-12. They know and if you have a few ducks and a few geese they wary already compared to the wads they feed and sleep with. That leads into previous quoted post.

this answer your question?

Nice Photoshop Job! ;)

They want to be where the food is regardless of water. If I was targeting them I would pick up the duck decoys, I dont think they help.

Yeah right! I dont have them skills like W.

But for real we have been killing specks even when our bigfoots looked like floaters out there.

No

You can kill geese over water just as dry. But water depth could play a factor. Shallow water is what all waterfowl wants. Plowed mud puddle fields are good. Stubble fields are good sheet water is good. But it all needs to look consistent. Dry on one side and flooded on other screams blind. Not saying you can't kill a few but all or nothing usually works better. I know a guy who hunts nothing but flooded and he's prolly killed more geese out of his blinds this year than most people on this site put together. Lol.

Agree 100% its hard to pick between ducks and geese but I've been told basically you can't have your cake and eat it too. Too many more ppl rather kill a bunch a ducks and a few or no geese than just geese like 80% of south Louisiana because we have a sportsmans paradise. Best of both worlds. But truly I envy you guys that hunt dry and give up the ducks because I'd honestly rather the challenge. I really believe into, wheb goose hunting 100% calling and cover matters in every situation. Duck hunting, we have all been in blinds that big ducks just want to be in just pour into no matter what. Ppl may expierience it but when they do they are do it ALL right. You don't have to do that for ducks ALL the time. Once fields get damp but not cement dry its easier for them to get more bang for their buck in a sence that their aren't eating just tops they eat the whole plant roots n all compared to the smaller on avg duck who forages on floating seed. They gotta eat more because they have to exert more energy to fly as High and as far as they do compared to the size of the bird they are. Really, think about it they have 8 ft wings span. They have to power that for hundreds of miles or thousands if need be that exerting alot of energy so carbing up on stubble and roots rather than just floating seed seems more reasonable. Imo

I know, y'all have had an incredible season this year. I hope it makes up somewhat for your season last year.

It helps!

This is gold!! I wish evry thread would go like this. This is really good info from great hunters. I learned alot this yr in line island like too dawg said just by giving them the illusion that its one field and all consistant helps alot. Maybe your water the same but you levy brush too high not only to they have great depth perception and you can see it as they naturally rise over a tall levy. But more importantly they notice the little things that you don't notice the things that scream blind or "THIS ISN'T NATURAL" pressure grass water level calling at the wrong times for certain situations or doing a perusing hail when they are close and should be doing nothing or clicking only telling them its cool I love it here and they got good 2 not "HEY I KNOW YOUR CLOSE AS CRAP BUT IM STILL GONNA HOLLA AT YOU" you'd find it weird if I screamed in your face. ThAts a few things I learned this yr trying to master these beloved geese. There ain't nothing like speaking the language a speck wants to hear you pulling them on a string with just a simple conversation spittin game like you do for a woman. Suddle at close quarters but aggressive when they don't cooperate

6 inches of water, both sides. Kill ducks and geese every day. People all over do it all the time

Yup

You gonna get back on that lease in Pine Island, or you lookin for something different? Teal season is a guarantee there.

No man we lost it! Teal was magnif. 60% of big duck season was teal 2. 530teal 13/16dats hunted. 21min longest hunt

I'm on the look out for sure without a doubt. Looking into cazan lake area chicot.

Okay. This is my input. I'm a goose hunter. And I've guided and hunted strictly for specks for a while.

The water makes a HUGE difference. Maybe not on the perfect condition days, but on the blue bird, no wind, nothing flying kind of days... 0 inches of water is the ticket.

Next is the calling. Calling can totally define the way a goose hunt will turn out. You may have a descent caller that kills singles and doubles. Then you could have an excellent caller who can call groups of 20-200 in the decoys.

Concealment is a great deal of it. You need to be covered extremely well to kill specks on a consistent basis. Also being concealed and good calling will allow you to kill less juvies and more generals.

Here's some photos of my spread right now. I killed a limit on it this morning.
Attachment 45723 Attachment 45724

I like a little water for geese. I've had my best speck hunts in stubble with a little water.

Straight gold!!! Totally wish I was older to be in a class with really good hunters. My class has good ones but hard to get friends to grip this concept. Ex: one told me "dude you really think them birds can see me standing up this early?" 700am well f*** yea they find food and elude predators in the dark of the night. Because of this sight this tr I finally found good ppl accompanied by good hunt ethics and we murdered ducks and geese together. You would think by me going solo and limiting n then they go, can't call don't hide stand over brush on seat and scratch they would get the hunt n listen. Nope they blame me for hunting weekdays. Well I do that so I don't have to mess with Thier S*** on weekends.

I like that marsh mop! Field goldens are a dying breed.

A small flooded area surrounded by a bunch of dry fields will usually spook geese and they will go around it. If you are hunting in a large flooded area, water doesn't bother them. Some days it is easy, other days the best can't make specks finish. The old dry one side and water on the other is not the best. I'm not saying you can't kill specks in that situation. If I had my choice, I would take 3-4 inches of water in a large area around me.